By Randy Blanton Jeremiah 29:11‐13 I’ve had the unpleasant experiences of wondering how I came to be in difficult and distressing circumstances. I had never planned for such to occur, but I found myself in such situations nonetheless. Such experiences are typically overwhelming and appear to be all encompassing. Similarly, these circumstances leave me wondering…
By Randy Edwards Psalm 63:1‐8 I cannot hear this passage without also hearing in my head and heart an extraordinary solo written with this very text by Dan Goeller. The melodic line, sung by a mezzo soprano, is deeply rich and utterly passionate. “O Lord, You are my God, how I long for You! How…
By Diana Bridges Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. In Isaiah 7:14, God gives embattled King Ahaz a sign of hope, whether he wants one or not. As followers of Jesus, we see in these…
By Garrett Vickrey Isaiah 40:1-5 Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins. A voice of one calling: “In the wilderness…
By Christopher Langford Psalm 98 Psalm 98 begins with the verse “O sing unto the Lord a new song”. This simplistic statement is profound. It is so short and easy to read that we may be tempted to quickly move on from it without giving it further consideration. Alternatively, some of us may be unsure…
By Christyn Baer Psalm 22:25-31 Psalm 22 begins with a line familiar to us all, being five weeks into Eastertide… “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” David begins his anguished prayer with the same words that Jesus laments on the cross. As I sit here reading this psalm on Saturday night, I’m…
By Lucas Newell Psalm 23 I am not a Theologian. Nor am I a philosopher. Neither am I a half-decent devotional writer. So when I was asked to write a devotional, I freaked out. I hadn’t planned it, I wasn’t ready for it, and I didn’t really want to do it. However, it doesn’t seem…
By Mary Johns Psalm 4 Have you ever had trouble going to sleep or staying asleep? Do you ever wonder if God listens and answers your prayers? In Psalm 4, David is demanding and assertive with God when he prays his evening prayer: Answer me when I pray to you!! Make things easier for me…
By Mike Neely Psalm 133 This Psalm states in verse 1: “How good and pleasant it is when brothers live in unity”. The Psalmist goes on to state in verse 2: “It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard”. What do you think of when the word “unity” is…
By Garrett Vickrey Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24 My calendar is wrong. Typically, weekly calendars start with Sunday at the left margin and move to Saturday at the far right. But, I’m a preacher. And my week leads up to Sunday. My calendar begins with Monday and ends with Sunday so that I can organize my week…